ABSTRACT
The city of Venice has always exerted a fascination on travelers and accordingly constituted a mandatory destination for virtually all non-Italians making what came to be known as the Grand Tour of Europe. While the itinerary may hardly have varied, nevertheless, Geoffrey Trease has noted that “the fascination of the subject lies in its surprising variety. It ought to be monotonous, tracing and retracing much the same beaten tracks with one character after another. Jewish moneylending in Venice, which, along with international wholesale maritime commerce, was the reason that the Jews were allowed to live in Venice, commenced in the early sixteenth century. Passing comments by some of the travelers indicate that they were keenly aware of parallels and contrasts between Judaism, Catholicism, and Protestantism, and did not hesitate to express their prejudices in what today could be called “comparative religion”.
